Heat Treatment Method And Equipment For Mass Processing Of Components And/Or Assembly Of Components

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is heat treatment equipment and process that facilitates heat treatment process by introducing focused high intensity infrared heating to components on a conveyorized system for maximizing the throughput of heat treated components.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of thermal processing or heat treating of parts and components made out of several materials for industrial and non-industrial use to achieve an objective such as pre-heating, stress relieving, hardening, softening, wear resistance, expansion shrink-fit and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved heat treatment method and equipment for mass processing of components and/or assembly of components thereby offering a high productivity and energy efficiency.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Induction hardening or softening is one such widely used conventional heat treatment process that is most commonly applied to ferrous or metallic components with the objective of changing the surface properties of the component thereby enhancing wear, friction and fatigue resistance of the same. Common components include axles, gears, spindles, shafts, cam lobes, stamping, etc.

Typically, the induction process consists of placing the desired component inside a copper coil and inducing an alternating current that creates a magnetic field in the component. This phenomenon heats the components surface to a high temperature. The component is then quenched thereby bringing the desired change to the surface properties.

Induction processing is normally performed on one part at a time. In cases where multiple components have to be processed simultaneously, the entire thermal source consisting of an electric coil set up and its paraphernalia is to be reproduced for each component of the set. This characteristic of the process contributes to a complex equipment design, heavy and large equipment footprint and significantly higher energy consumption and cost per component in online mass production.

Accordingly, there is a need of an improved heat treatment method and equipment that overcomes all the drawbacks of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an improved heat treatment method and equipment for mass processing of components by introducing focused high intensity infrared heating to components on a conveyorized system for maximizing the throughput of heat treated components wherein Infrared heating facilitates rapid heat transfer to the targeted object and is capable of deep penetration in material bodies therefore further contributing to thermal efficiency. Accordingly, the equipment designed for heat treatment process comprises a chain conveyor with an adaptation to host a pallet thereon. The equipment includes a heating oven configured to automatically receive the pallet and is positioned with a component being heat treated. The heating oven includes a plurality of infrared emitters and auxiliary parts positioned therein. The heating oven includes two sets of emitters mounted on either side of the pallet. The equipment of the present invention includes a plurality of sensors including an entry safety sensor, an unloading sensor, a shade sensor, a pokayoke sensor set, a non contact temperatures sensor and an exit safety sensor. The equipment of the present invention includes water or equivalent cooled reflector unit that covers the infrared emitters and components thereof for encapsulating the heating process. The reflector unit includes a housing configured such that infrared radiation is concentrated onto the components optimally to deliver maximum temperature in minimum time. The equipment of the present invention includes a cooling provision/water jacket that is configured to prevent heat transfer to the non-targeted region. The water jacket pneumatically activates and surrounds the non-targeted region during the heating process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a system/equipment according to the present invention comprising a belt conveyor, one or more sensors, a water jacket, a reflector unit and a heating oven;

FIG. 2 shows the heating oven mounted on a structure; and

FIG. 3 shows components processed on system/equipment according to the present invention.

Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and may have not been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figure may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of exemplary embodiments of the invention as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions are omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the invention. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes reference to one or more of such surfaces.

By the term “substantially” it is meant that the recited characteristic, parameter, or value need not be achieved exactly, but that deviations or variations, including for example, tolerances, measurement error, measurement accuracy limitations and other factors known to those of skill in the art, may occur in amounts that do not preclude the effect the characteristic was intended to provide.

Accordingly, in an embodiment, the present invention provides a controlled heat treatment process by introducing focused high intensity infrared heating to components on a conveyorized system for maximizing the throughput of heat treated components. Infrared heating has a characteristic of instant ON, instant OFF with rapid heat transfer to the targeted object. Likewise, infrared heat is capable of deep penetration in material bodies therefore further contributing to thermal efficiency.

In the context of the present invention, the components being processed under heat treatment are ferrous materials. However, it is understood that the process of the present invention for controlled and improved heat treatment on components of various materials may be implemented on other materials in various other embodiments of the present invention.

In an embodiment, the heat treatment process of the present invention may be designed such that multiple components are simultaneously targeted and processed with the same IR heat source. It is understood however that precision power controls and process automation are linked to the operation of this shared heat source, thereby bringing simplification to the process and consequently as streamlined equipment that is capable of delivering increased productivity and energy efficiency concurrently.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, in one preferred embodiment, the equipment/system (100) for improved heat treatment method and equipment for mass processing of components is shown that comprises a chain conveyor (102) with an adaptation to host special pallets (104) that are conveyed into a heating oven (106). Each pallet (104) is designed to the specification of the component such that the throughput quantity and individual component alignment for optimal and precise radiation on the targeted region is achieved. The pallet (104) is automatically directed to the heating oven (106) once the equipment/system is activated. The heating oven (106) is where the infrared heat sources and its auxiliary parts are located. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the entire conveying sequence is automated for consistent travel and prevention of human error through use of plurality of sensors such as an entry safety sensor (108), an unloading sensor (110), a shade sensor (112), a pokayoke sensor set (114), a non contact temperature sensor (116) and an exit safety sensor (117).

The heating oven (106) consists of an infrared emitter source such as an array of special quartz heating lamps, Infra Red Light Emitting Diode (IR LED), Infra Red Laser (IR Laser), Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) or other infrared emitters with special bends selected with power ratings and specifications that permit high intensity infrared radiation heat transfer. The components on pallet travel between two sets of emitters mounted on either side of the pallet. The equipment/system (100) includes mechanisms to allow utilization and positioning of designed IR emitters such that targeted IR radiation is achieved.

According to the present invention, a specially designed water or equivalent cooled reflector unit (118) covers the IR emitters and components for encapsulating the heating process. The reflector unit (118) has a housing that is configured in such a way that IR radiation is concentrated onto the components optimally to deliver maximum temperature in minimum time. An engineered cooling path is maintained in the housing of the reflector unit (118) to prevent the emitters and reflective material from getting damaged in the high intensity infrared radiation zone.

It is understood however that, heat transfer to the non-targeted region has to be prevented due to conduction in the metallic component in case of metallic components that require heat treatment in a very specific region. For this objective, in the present invention, the system is designed with a simultaneous cooling provision/water jacket (120). According to the preferred embodiment, cooling jackets (120) pneumatically activate and surround the non-targeted region during the heating process. Accordingly, any heat conducted to the non-targeted region is transferred away by the cooling jackets. This approach restricts the heat treatment to the desired region on the component. In effect, heating and cooling takes place at the same time in the process cycle.

The system/equipment (100) is designed such that components on the pallet (104) are conveyed out of the heating oven (106). The non-contact temperature sensor (116) validates the set process temperature on exit of the components and accordingly the pallet (104) is unloaded from the conveyor (102) by the operator.

Accordingly, the heat treatment method and equipment (100) provides a highly productive and energy efficient non-contact method for thermal treatment on metals, non-metals, plastic, composite or special material components or assembly of components that include hardening, softening, stress relieving and other heat processes.

In an embodiment, the heat treatment method and equipment (100) is designed with a compact footprint for online/mass processing of multiple heat treatment components simultaneously, thereby offering significant reduction in energy consumption and substantial process time reduction compared to conventional processes such as induction and furnace heating.

The heat treatment method and equipment (100) utilizes a quartz infrared heat lamp or other infrared emitters that may include IR LED, IR laser, VCSEL, and other such IR sources for the thermal process to achieve optimal results.

The heat treatment method and equipment (100) is energy efficient mechanism to achieve thermal treatment on either the entire components in the set or a very narrow region on the components in the set without affecting the properties of the component as a whole.

EXAMPLE

A sample processed components having undergone the above heat treatment method were measured in the lab for softening parameters. It was proven that components processed with the said method exhibit equivalent or better values and reduce the process cycle per component by up to 50%. The contribution of enhanced thermal penetration of infrared heat as designed for the above referenced equipment of the said invention thereby proves that this improved method not only delivers productivity and energy efficiency but also enhanced quality to the heat treatment process.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others, skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

In the foregoing detailed description of embodiments of the invention, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This device or unit or arrangement of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments of the invention require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description of embodiments of the invention, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

It is understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. It is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. In the appended claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as the plain-English equivalents of the respective terms “comprising” and “wherein,” respectively. 

We claim: 1) An improved heat treatment equipment for mass processing of components and/or assembly of components via controlled heat treatment process, wherein said equipment comprising: a chain conveyor with an adaptation to host a pallet thereon; a heating oven configured to receive the pallet with component being heated, the heating oven having a plurality of infrared emitter sources and auxiliary parts positioned therein, the heating oven having at least two sets of emitters mounted on either side of the pallet; a plurality of sensors including an entry safety sensor, an unloading sensor, a shade sensor, a pokayoke sensor set, a non contact temperatures sensor, and an exit safety sensor; a water or equivalent cooled reflector unit covering the infrared emitters and components thereby encapsulating the heating process, the reflector unit having a housing configured to concentrate infrared radiation optimally onto the components for delivering maximum temperature in minimum time; and a cooling provision/water jacket configured to prevent heat transfer to the non-targeted region, the water jacket pneumatically activating and surrounding the non-targeted region. 2) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pallet is designed to receive individual component alignment for optimal and precise radiation throughput quantity of the components being heated. 3) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the infrared emitter source includes an array of quartz heat lamps, Infra Red Light Emitting Diode, Infra Red Laser, Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser or other infrared emitters having predefined power ratings and specifications to permit high intensity infrared radiation heat transfer. 4) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said equipment allows utilization and positioning of designed IR emitters such that targeted IR radiation is facilitated. 5) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing of the cooled reflector unit having an engineered cooling path that prevents damage of the infrared emitters and reflective material in the high intensity infrared radiation zone. 6) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the non-contact temperature sensor validates the set process temperature on exit of the components after being subjected to heat transfer. 7) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein heating is facilitated by a highly productive and energy efficient non-contact method for thermal treatment comprising hardening, softening, stress relieving and the like. 8) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the component is made of material selected from metal, non-metal, plastic and composite material. 9) The heat treatment equipment as claimed in claim 1, wherein said equipment facilitates a compact footprint for simultaneous online/mass processing of multiple heat treatment components thereby offering substantial reduction in energy consumption and process time. 